Love,
Jane
image via I stumbled upon the Refashioners Challenge right after posting our mini challenge and thought it fit right in. There is more than one thing you can do with a pair of thrifted jeans... and this challenge proves it! This is a way to reuse those super trendy jeans of the past... or the ones deemed too messed up to sell (Joost made a point of asking for some of those jeans for his creative pieces). image via Denim is strong, durable fabric that can live on and on, so why not reuse it? Let your creativity run wild or use some of these amazing pieces as inspiration! I love Erin's jacket (above)... and she gives a step by step of how she made it. Portia (below) adapted an existing sewing pattern into an amazingly wearable, warm coat. Joost even made shoes! image via There is a lot more inspiration to be found... and there is still time to enter your creation in the contest to win a huge prize if that appeals.
Love, Jane
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i don't wear much jewelry.
it wasn't always like that. as a girl, i remember picking out just the perfect pop beads. i wore bangles and long necklaces, a turquoise ring, and my dad's old watch around my ankle (not all at once). :) it was fun to pick out just the right pieces to coordinate with whatever i was wearing that day. after college, i cut my hair short and had my ears pierced. handmade sundance earrings and a tiny gifted necklace that read, "dream" became my uniform. i had a swatch with a stretchy band that could be pushed up on my arm during the repetitive hand washing involved with my nursing jobs. and then i had a newborn, and my watch caught at her hair as i laid her down...and woke her up. no more watch. no necklace was safe from that tiny, strong grip. i needed glasses and grew my hair, and somehow that seemed to be all the accessorizing i needed or wanted around my face. later i wore a necklace with words i wanted to hold close to my heart and mind...but eventually...i kind of stopped accessorizing much at all. today, my daily accessorizing involves my wedding rings, my glasses, and this little ring. i don't give myself a whole lot of credit for teaching my girls (homeschool). maybe i should, but that's not my point today. :) when jo was graduating from high school, i found her this perfect ring. to me it symbolizes the fact that today is a new day with all new possibility...the Son is risen...and is always with us. i loved that it was made by an independent designer. and then i thought...this is my graduation too. i've done a good job of educating my daughter... and i deserve a celebration too. so i bought myself one too (in silver) and wear it every day. i like that jo + i wear almost the same ring and look forward to doing the same with julia when she graduates. if i feel like it, i might wear a bracelet in the summer months. i might wear a small necklace instead. but right now, i feel that going mostly unaccessorized does not feel incomplete. it is just the personal statement i want to make. simple, natural and minimal. do you find yourself accessorizing differently over time? what are your favorite accessories? do they have special meaning? i'd love to hear! love, jane Since we put out the mini jeans challenge, I thought I'd share my latest jeans purchase. I scored these in Topanga Canyon while on vacation in California this summer. I knew I wanted to stop at Hidden Treasures and was not disappointed. I was on the lookout for some faded jeans with a high waist, so I scanned the jeans in my size for that faded color. These jeans are the kind of soft that only years of wear could bring. They fit just the way I wanted, although the pockets were quite wide set and there were a few areas that needed a bit of attention. I decided that I could remove the pockets and sew them back on where I wanted them to be. A couple of patches, a bit of strategic stitching, a broken sewing machine needle, and a few good washings later and they've got a sort of B-sides quality to them (but at a thrift store price). :) I like them with a linen tank top + clog sandals now and know they'll be great with a big cozy sweater + boots later. I don't need lots of jeans, but I think these are keepers.
Love, Jane our road trip this summer was amazing, but it did involve a downer. one of us got a cold. in an effort to soothe the cough and sore throat that came with it, i was able to make this drink... even while away from home. those of us who were not yet sick drank it as an immune booster (and somehow managed to not get sick). this citrusy, spicy drink tastes amazing. we'll be making it whether we are sick or not in the cooler months ahead. there are a lot of reasons that this remedy works. ginger is an expectorant (loosens mucus), boosts circulation, flushes out toxins, acts as an anti-inflammatory, and fights off bad bacteria. honey has been used for centuries to treat sore throats and is antibacterial and anti-fungal. lemon is a natural astringent that clears away mucus and contains vitamin c which supports the immune system. throat soother
ginger, sliced thinly lemon wedges honey boiling water put some sliced ginger into a mason jar or mug with a drizzle of honey and a lemon wedge or two (after squeezing the juice into the vessel). pour boiling water over and steep until cool enough to drink. stir, sip, and enjoy. when we finished our hot drinks, we would add the remains to our water bottles and enjoy the flavor it added for the rest of the day. (at the end of the day, be sure to compost those remains.) here's hoping that noone will need this for its soothing benefits... but will just get to enjoy the taste. :) love, jane When I thought about the possibility of being able to share other people's stories here... my first thought was of Celia. I finally mustered the courage to ask Celia to answer a few questions and was elated when she said, "Yes." Celia's blog Litterless is a truly beautiful and inspiring spot to read up on all the basics and not-so-basics of zero-waste. Her aesthetic communicates an uncluttered ease as well as a spirit of calm. I had collected hints of her efforts to make ethical choices with her wardrobe and was excited to hear more. I know you'll be as inspired by her words as I am! Do you have a favorite outfit that just makes you feel like you? Yes! I’d wear this every day if I could, and some weeks I almost do. I reach for black high-waisted jeans, a white shirt, jean jacket, and a few special pieces of jewelry. In this photograph, my jeans + jacket are secondhand, my tank top I’ve had for years and altered twice to make it fit exactly right, and my jewelry is made in the USA by OdetteNY. How do you approach "fair" in your closet? I was talking with Jane recently about how making more ethical choices in other areas of my life has slowly led me to fair fashion. Transitioning to making less trash, shopping for locally grown food, and simplifying my home have helped me realize that I have the power to make choices that are fair to others and the planet. My fair closet is comprised of secondhand purchases, clothing from companies and artists with a commitment to fairly made, items that I’ve made myself, and, currently, lots of older pieces from non-ethical sources as well. I try to focus on buying things that I know I’ll wear to pieces and taking care of them so that they’ll last for a long time. Do you have a piece in your closet with a special story? Would you mind sharing? I sew and knit and my handmade pieces are some of the most loved things in my wardrobe. I made this cowl for a dear friend’s birthday one year, and loved it so much that I bought more of the same yarn and made one for myself, too. It’s cozy, warm, and beautiful, and an example of a time when the vision in my head and the project on my needles matched exactly. When I’ve made something myself, I find I know how to take better care of it and how to re-work it if I’d like to change something about it. And all of the work behind each handmade object reminds me of how important it is to choose fairly made clothing. Do you struggle with any part of buying fair clothing?
Shopping is one of my least favorite ways to spend time, because I’ve become so picky it sometimes feels like I’ll never find what I want. Before I began thinking about buying more ethically made pieces, shopping was faster and easier. Frequenting just a few loved stores (like Madewell) meant I could walk in knowing I’d find what I needed and loved. Now, shopping takes more time – browsing secondhand shops and searching for designers who manufacture their clothing fairly. I don’t shop often but when I have a piece in mind it now takes longer to find. It’s worth it – but not as easy. Do you have any goals for a next step you'd like to take in your own fair fashion future? I aspire to have a pretty complete wardrobe to which I add just a handful of special and thoughtfully considered pieces each year. And, I want more of my wardrobe to be handmade by myself and others. All photos by Celia. Please don't miss Celia's inspiring blog, Litterless... her lovely Instagram... and my favorite Pinterest inspiration. Thank you so much, Celia, for being willing to share your story here. I enjoyed hearing about your unique feelings and experience. We have so much to learn from each other on this journey! It's much more fun knowing that we are not alone! Filosofia uses only deadstock and sustainable materials.
Production takes place in Los Angeles. Simple, beautiful, comfortable and ethical! These pieces look soft and wearable. I think there are pieces that could be worn in more professional situations as well as casually with a change of shoes and layers. That jumpsuit is my favorite! :) |
on a journey toward zero-waste, simplicity, + compassion :: daring to choose fair one choice at a time
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